Working like a hamster on a wheel can, in fact, be productive — at least at the Zoobox rental cabins in Quebec.
That's because the occupants in these unique dwellings can become part of their own power source, supplementing the cabins' solar panels by walking or running on a giant wheel in each one. It's all shown in a YouTube video shared by Exploring Alternatives — and in coverage about the property from Unofficial Networks.
It's part of a "100% autonomous shelter," as described by Vertendre, the business renting the units. Visitors should expect to walk about a mile and a half to reach one of the numerous Zoobox getaways that are available. Up to six people can stay comfortably in the cabins, which include 350-square-foot gathering rooms.
The cabins are tucked away in the woods, but each includes all the amenities. There's a shower, a TV, a barbecue, and even wireless internet. Eccentric offerings are a fireman's pole, an indoor rock-climbing wall — and the energy-producing, human-sized hamster wheel, as shown in footage of the interior.
Vertendre also notes a bike can be cycled to produce energy in some of the cabins, in lieu of the wheel.
"Over here is probably my favorite feature of the cabin," Mat, a host from Exploring Alternatives, says as he gives a tour of the abode.
A dynamo converts the mechanical energy — made as people walk inside to turn it — into electricity, as Mat describes it. He is seen in the clip walking easily on the wheel, which helps to top off the batteries that power the cabin.
Innovations capitalizing on everyday movements are getting creative. French engineering students last year piloted turnstiles in a metro station that leveraged the kinetic energy created when people passed through them to power nearby screens. The screens showed messages about renewable energy.
In the United Kingdom, Pavegen is developing tiles that generate electricity as people walk on them. The footfalls can fascinatingly power lighting, displays, and sensors, according to the company.
The creative inventions are outside-the-box ideas that can help support the transition to renewable power, leveraging energy from movements that happen from human activity each day.
It's part of the way we can reduce the amount of planet-warming air pollution typically created to power lights, gadgets, and other aspects of our lives. The lung-troubling fumes are linked by medical experts to a range of health problems. So, logging some time on the wheel can contribute to better cardio and lung health.
If you aren't staying in a Zoobox, walking outside for short-trip errands can contribute to better health while reducing exhaust fumes, as well.
At the cabins, the wheels also have controllers that track how much electricity is being used and generated, so you can see the power behind each spin.
"Every school and kindergarten needs an 'energy wheel'... Think of the possibilities!" a viewer commented on the Exploring Alternatives clip.
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